Patchwork Man
by drcalvin
Summary: Bit by bit, Usopp finds himself: the sniper and liar and pirate and coward - somehow, they all manage share the same dream. Character introspection, episodes from the journey.  Finished! No pairing.


He might have signed on as the Master Sniper (and Liar), but from the beginning, it was clear to Usopp that this didn't quite encompass his role on the Going Merry. Sniper, him? Following in his father's footsteps, raining down death with cannons and guns... Well, sure, if he had to. If he couldn't get away with fire-shots and Tabasco-bombs, he knew how to handle a cannon ball

The aiming, now, that was the fun part. Or seeing his shot fly true, he liked that too. That moment before it hit, when he knew he'd done it again?. When he'd worked through moving enemies and tricky air conditions and hit the bulls-eye, that was a really good one! So, in that sense, Usopp didn't mind being sniper, no indeed.

But part of being a sharpshooter on a pirate ship, is that one occasionally has to do some _sharp_ shooting, so to speak. Just like Sanji's legs occasionally cracked some very sensitive bones when the fight got heated. As for Zoro's swords and the exact number of Marines or pirates who didn't ever get up after he'd slice through them, that was one of those little things Usopp put away somewhere else in his mind. Where he could deal with it much later.

No, Usopp had quickly and quietly discovered that that kind of sniping wasn't really his thing. Although he might have been prepared to make an exception for that bastard Captain Kuro. Still, if you asked him, he'd do a much better job as Usopp the Captain. Or vice captain. Or, alright, to be quite honest, he knew perfectly well that he was more the jack of all trades, but! In its own way, that made him the most irreplaceable member since he did everything. Right? Wasn't he the glue that kept them together, in a way?

So maybe he was a bit of a braggart, the liar who couldn't find his place on the ship quite as easily as the rest of them. Honestly, it didn't bother him most of the time. As long as he could patch up the ship, design a flag, help out in the galley, come up with a few clever plans... then the Strawhat Pirates still needed him, didn't they? Then Luffy wouldn't mind that he wasn't really that much of a brave warrior of the sea (yet).

A bit of this, a bit of that, patching things up as they sailed, poking the others with a few jokes and reminders of who was Really the Captain Here – just to keep them on their toes, of course. It was enough for him.

**Not a doctor**

It was his first big repair jobs after they've left his island. Years later, Usopp will still recall it as one of the worst improvised solutions he's ever had to cobble together. He's done plenty of those, so he should know! Just grabbed whatever he had in his pockets, gathered his wits and rode on the adrenaline tiger praying that he wouldn't be thrown off too early.

Zoro, the same demonic bounty-hunter who had _not_ starred the villain-role in several of Usopp's old tales, had been most soundly defeated. With one single stroke, a stroke that almost cleaved him in two, all of Usopp's illusions about the man were shattered.

He's been slightly apprehensive about Zoro until then. After his experiences with 'Kurahadol', it's too easy to imagine another dangerous swordsman hiding beneath a slightly goofy exterior. It's not that Usopp is actually suspecting him of being a traitor, no, no, he's just a bit _careful_. Before you blame him for his lack of faith, he'd like to remind you that he saw Luffy and Zoro fight the Black Cat Pirates. He saw what was left when they were done. It's actually quite hard not to wonder just what will happen if either of them lose their temper on him, poor little Usopp. Now, with Luffy, he kind of thinks he'd have to really try to piss him off so that's okay. Zoro, though? The man who grumbles at Nami every times she tells him what to do, the guy whose laugh is just a bit too loud and awkward for comfort? There, Usopp is a bit more careful.

It is possible that Usopp once spent the night awake, only slightly worried that the pirate would decide to become a pirate hunter (more specifically, a Pirate Usopp Hunter) again. It was the evening after his foot had nudged one of Zoro's swords while the man was napping on the deck. The frighteningly intense glare he received for that misstep kept him turning in his hammock, listening for silent, vengeful steps coming his way.

You never know with people, Usopp tells himself, not really ashamed about his slight hesitation. He's just being careful!

As it turns out, there are times when you do know. Such as when you see someone being almost bisected by the biggest, blackest, most vicious sword Usopp's ever seen. It's a lesson he wouldn't have minded passing on, but there you have it, out on the great blue sea – you learn loads more than you ever knew you didn't want to.

For instance, you learn to recognize a particular icy clarity that drops on you whenever you see a fellow crew member in deadly danger. It's a nasty feeling which Usopp will never get used to, no matter how often he experiences it, but it's sure is something he wouldn't have learned without going to sea.

The first time that coldness sinks over him, is also the first time he feels what it means to properly be in a crew. And that's a lesson that he will cherish for the rest of his life.

It's like this, see: It's the feeling you get when a guy, who just offered a pretty stupid challenge and then refused to back down even when he was way outclassed – an act that some might call even dumber, though Usopp's hidden hero (still a small guy, but already humming softly in his heart) refuses to demean his bravery like that. The feeling you get, when that guy lies bleeding his life out on the deck? Yeah, that feeling, the one which breaks through the terror and forces you to move, because you know that you will do everything in your power to put him back together; that's what being in a crew means. It doesn't matter if that crew is full of demons or monsters, because they're your demons and monsters.

Yosaku and Johnny have "medicine", which they pour all over Zoro, half of it spilling on the deck before Usopp snatches the bottle. When he reads the label, his hopes for a miracle cure fade away; it's nothing but the same antiseptic he's used for scraped knees back home.

And while technically Johnny has sewn up plenty of minor cuts and lacerations before, and Yosaku claims to have set at least four broken bones and three of them worked even better afterward, all it takes is a glance at their pale, tear-streaked faces and nervous, shaking hands for Usopp to realize that letting those two operate on their great idol is nothing short of a death sentence. For said idol and possibly the bounty hunters too if Luffy's recent reaction is a fair indication.

There's blood everywhere.

Usopp orders the bounty-hunters to hold Zoro's flesh together and, inspired by Captain Usopp's natural charisma, they are quick to obey. They try to sew, but the first-aid kit is very small and the wound too deep. They'll need to save the catgut to close the really big part, Yosaku argues, though Usopp has some vague idea that the most important parts are the ones deep down. In the end, they are resorted to pilfering from the emergency sail-fixing kit and the black thread sticks and doesn't hold together properly and even his rudimentary medical knowledge is enough to suspect that it's far too dirty, but what the hell are they supposed to use?

It's like sewing up his trousers when he tore them up on some wild brambles, Usopp tells himself and manages not to puke from the stench. He's a brave pirate, he reminds his rebelling stomach; he's had to amputate limbs and cauterize wounds when caring for the honorable enemies defeated by his 8000 men! Of course he can handle the sight of Zoro's wound nearly swallowing his entire hand, while he digs around inside of him to try and find the whatever it is which is spurting blood with every heartbeat! Would any true pirate let a comrade die, just because the feel of pushing a needle through flesh is the worst, horrible, disgusting thing Usopp has ever had to do in his life? Of course not!

Later, the old doctor in Nami's village is highly critical of their work. Never has Usopp been more grateful to hear someone dismiss his wound-sewing skills, because he's fairly certain that people don't tend to bitch like that at people about to die this very minute. And, fair's fair, the doctor is even more critical about Zoro's refusal to lie still and rest, as befits a man camping on deaths doorstep.

Finally, after another round of nagging, during which the rest of the crew have been brought in to act as some kind of moral anchor (which Usopp could have told the old man was a waste of time, even before Sanji tried to serenade Nami and Luffy began cleaning his toes) Zoro loses it completely. Growls like a mad dog, shakes off the doctor's hands and limps away. He keeps cursing the poor man too, grumbling about how if he's not allowed to train, can't somebody at least show him where they hid the bloody ship already?

Since he kind of started this round of 'keep the demon Pirate Hunter alive despite him being an idiot', Usopp takes it upon himself to bring him back home. It's not like they can force Nami away from the village right now and Luffy, while absolutely one of Usopp's great heroes, doesn't really get the concept of 'careful' any more than Zoro himself. Yosaku and Johnny, whom he had really hoped would be up for Zoro-sitting duties are still sleeping off their own injuries, with suspiciously loud snores whenever anyone glances in their direction.

They limp slowly towards the Going Merry. Zoro is fuming and sometimes grumbles under his breath. Bit loopy from pain meds too, or at least that is Usopp's educated guess after seeing the amount of empty syringes in the trash can beside his bed. All of which does not stop him from trying to lead the way, which only serves to make the entire trip take twice as long, because Usopp has to keep pulling him back to the path. Every time he does, Zoro struggles for a moment, and a whiff of fresh blood rises from the wound.

"Hey, slow down," Usopp finally says, when Zoro almost manages to get them turned around again. "I get that you don't like doctors or resting. But can't you show a bit of gratitude to the one who sewed you up the first time? Or is tiring a poor warrior out your idea of saying thanks?"

"What? Oh, you're hurt too?" Zoro gives him a slightly unfocused glare, but at least he slows down when Usopp nods enthusiastically and fakes a groan. They limp on and now Usopp only has to nudge Zoro when his feet seem about to wander off; what is it with this guy?

"So, you know medicine too?"

"Huh? Well..." Usopp considers, for just a moment, of telling Zoro about the secret medical lore he learned from the Mystical Pirate Monks. Then considers the probability of Zoro needing further repairs and who might be accidentally saddled with that work and for a moment, everything he sees is a red-washed deck.

"Not really," he says. "We had to improvise a bit."

"Eh." Zoro shrugs and allows himself to lean slightly heavier against Usopp. "You sewed me up. It lasted until we won, 's what being a surgeon is all about."

**Not a shipwright**

Of course he loves the ship from the beginning; it's a gift from Kaya! What other reason could he possibly need?

Later, when he is in a reminiscing mood, he will smile at this naive fondness. It began much like a crush, really. Usopp should know, he's had a couple of those before and during his journey; cute princesses, handsome pirates, just fluttery little things that are easy to put away. What he feels for their Going Merry? It's like comparing the ocean to one of the ponds the Usopp Pirates used to float bark boats in.

He gets to know her, in a way he could never imagine learning any inanimate object. It's not like being in a house floating on water, as he might have expected. While he's spent hours fixing leaks in the roof or seal the windows for winter, it was never more than chores. Sometimes funny chores, granted, like when he invited the gang over and they had a color war before they repainted the dingy walls.

Working on the Merry with the scent of tar, salt and wood all around him, is something entirely different from taking care of a cottage. He's no shipwright, but he's learning to read her creaks and groans, knows how she feels from the way she lists in the water. He hears the mast speaking to him; Nami can read the wind, knows when they have to take in the sails. But half the time, when she yells at them to hurry up, Usopp has already begun the work. He's warned by the Merry's polite request for some relief, before she over-strains herself. After Luffy acts like an utter idiot – and Usopp is sooooo angry at him for that little stunt with Laboon, ohh, he could smack the rubber-man if it wouldn't just bounce off – the requests become less polite, more frantic. But she keeps fighting, their Merry, and his hard work pays off. She sails them up rivers and mysterious streams alike, over clouds and through unknown seas; singing the song of wood and tack for Usopp, teaching him where to nail and what to tar and every time he repairs her, he falls a bit deeper in love.

It's a good thing the Thousand Sunny already has a husband, he thinks, because he's not sure that he could stand having his heart broken again. Oh, she's a nice ship, wonderful! He will always feel at home inside of her and it's more than flattering to have Franky ask for his assistance now and then. It's fun to work beside a master at his craft, to learn about all the tricks people have come up with for problems he could only be frustrated by before. And he cares for the Sunny, they all do, and Usopp knows she loves them back

And yet –

In his dreams, he still hears her creaky mast. Certain mornings when he wakes up, his hand ache to mend her sails. To grumble over the salt-stiff fabric being unresponsive and heavy, cut himself on a taught rope, sew her up and help her fly above the waves, just one last time. There's a scar in Usopp, a secret one that only another Strawhat crew can see. Left from where the Going Merry sailed into his dreams and took a part of them with her when she left them all behind.

**Bit of a liar**

The crew has been broken up and in the verdant jungle (that tries to eat him), among butterflies and beetles that could put a rainbow to shame (and occasionally also try to eat him) Usopp remembers their journey (during those short times when something doesn't try to – oh _crap_).

Later, while Heracles keeps watch, he slips into uneasy sleep.

Sogeking is here tonight, humming softly to himself while he effortlessly defeats Kizaru with the Certain Kill Dark King Star. He stops to take a bow before sending Kuma on a one-way trip with the Ultimate Punishment Journey Bullet. Usopp claps politely and listens to the cheering crew, before they slip off together for a bit more privacy.

"So," Usopp says, his fedora sliding down and giving his face a dramatic shadow, "you wanted to talk?" He's wearing black, tonight, and if something like a rainbow flutters at the edge of his senses for a moment, he pushes them away.

Sogeking nods gravely, his noble nose only adding to his dramatic countenance in the dim light. He swirls a glass of fine brandy before taking a sip. "An excellent vintage," he compliments and Usopp shrugs; of course he couldn't offer the King of Snipers sub-par drinks.

"I believe we should work out a strategy for the next time," the hero continues slowly, giving Usopp a careful glance under the cover of his mask. Which his super-senses of course notice immediately, though he decides to ignore it for now.

"What next time? We won, didn't we?" Usopp says.

They're a great team, Usopp and Sogeking, and there hasn't been an enemy they can't defeat yet. And they've fought plenty, these last nights, back and forth through the Grand Line and further beyond, to the shady shores of rumor where Usopp has defeated Blackbeard, dismantled the nasty Red Dog squadron of the Marines and stood beside Luffy on the summit of Raftel's treasure mountains.

But the hero is older, wiser, and his council is caution. "There ought to be a fail-safe, just in case the Dark King Star misfires. What would one do, if helpless against such an enemy? How could we bring our comrades to safety? These, my friend, are questions of depth which we must ponder."

Usopp shakes his head, already tired of this topic. They've discussed it often enough before and, cautious as he likes to be, he knows this weapon can't fail. It's impossible to imagine the Dark King Star to miss it's goal, to not bring down an enemy; he should know, he designed it himself! He tamed a Devil's Fruit in a manner Doctor Vegapunk could only manage in his dreams, he harnessed the antithesis of Kizaru's powers into his most destructive bullet yet. True, it is a dangerous weapon, a heavy burden for Usopp to bear, but he does it happily because he knows it will keep the crew of the Thousand Sunny safe on any sea.

"On the Grand Line, the impossible becomes possible," Sogeking reminds him. "We even flew for three days and nights, once! Before we landed in a green hell disguised as a paradise, alone and lost."

"That was long ago," Usopp says, "when I was still but a young fool. And we escaped, didn't we?"

"But our escape was too..."

"No, it wasn't! We swam for an one day and one night, reaching our captain _just in time_ to save his brother from the gallows! And then we swam with Luffy and Ace back to the Holy Land, defeated the Celestial Dragons and let them recuperate while we gathered the lost crew! You can't have forgotten that!"

"I haven't, my friend," Sogeking says, sorrow coloring his deep voice. "I forget nothing."

As he reaches for Usopp, his hand flimmers and shifts, until it is Heracles armored glove shaking him awake.

It's such a bother sometimes, living in a rainforest. He often finds his eyes full of salty dew when he wakes up and all this moisture makes him sniffly in the morning.

He once told a man a lie about a banana big enough to transport an entire island of refugees; under the flag of Captain Usopp, naturally.

Another time, when Sanji told the newer members about how he came to join the crew Chopper woke them all with a loud nightmare about sunken ships and starved crews. Usopp, master storyteller, cheered him up immensely when he explained about the secret candyfloss seaweed which grew in the depths of the ocean; although not too deep, of course, for Master Diver Usopp to find and bring home in case of emergency.

In stories, princesses spin gold from straw.

When Usopp, the future King of Snipers, wakes up there is no mask on his face and no cape dramatically falling from his shoulders. There is only hard work and long days ahead, while bugs try to crush him and flowers attempt to kill him. Meanwhile, his mind works and worries at the problem of saving your crew mates when the enemy can't be defeated and the tricks that might help them hold out until a fatal weakness is revealed.

All around him they grow, the seeds of his future fame. Between near-deadly encounters and half-hysteric breakdowns, Usopp experiments with Pop Greens and learns how to turn lies to golden truth. In his heart, Sogeking sings about the future and together they work on weaving a protective net of tricks and cheats around the crew.


End file.
